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Chelsea & Man Utd to go head-to-head for £36m defender

Premier League rivals emerge as main contenders to sign Porto star.Chelsea and Manchester United have emerged as the main two contenders to sign young Porto defender Eliaquim Mangala after Barcelona dropped out of the race for the £36m-rated stopper, according to the Daily Star.

The 23-year-old has attracted plenty of interest from big clubs over the last year or so, with Manchester City also being previously linked with the player before he expressed a desire to join their local rivals United over a becoming the latest big-money signing at the Etihad Stadium.

Both Chelsea and United are in desperate need of new signings at the back after losing key players in that area this summer, and the two rivals seem ready to pay big money for the talented French centre-back.

Although Jose Mourinho already has John Terry, Gary Cahill and new signing Kurt Zouma to choose from in the middle, the Blues boss is a big fan of Mangala and wants a replacement for David Luiz, who recently made a £50m move to Paris Saint-Germain.

United have also lost key players in Nemanja Vidic and Rio Ferdinand, and Mangala could be a great long-term option for the Red Devils in that position.